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meloches's review against another edition
3.0
I am such a sucker for a horror read as soon as October hits. I want to grab a cozy blanket, cuddle up in my sweats and scare myself silly. With this in mind, I began to compile my October lineup, and my picks for #cjsreads, one of which was Mary Rose by Geoffrey Girard. Going into this novel, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I was intrigued by the description of this novel being “a chilling and modern take on a classic ghost story”. I was also intrigued when I found out that the premise for the story was actually written by J.M Barrie for a film adaptation by Alfred Hitchcock; not sure what went down with that but I figured there was nothing more chilling than films by Hitchcock, so, if he deemed this story worthy of film, then I needed to check it out!
The general premise brings us Mary Rose and Simon, a couple of working professionals, who are about to be engaged. They travel to England to ask for Mary Rose’s hand and Simon’s plans are slightly derailed when he finds out that Mary Rose disappeared when she was a little girl and then randomly reappeared thirty-three days later with no memory of her time away or knowledge of where she was. Not only does this give Simon the heeby-jeebies, but he becomes obsessed with trying to solve the puzzle of where she could have been and what could have happened.
Would I call this a traditional ghost story? Not really. Did I find some moments creepy? Absolutely! Told in alternating perspectives of Simon and Mary Rose, both characters have the opportunity to show the reader their growing paranoia and fright. I think my favourite character was Mary Rose. She is quirky, to say the least, and when she was acting strangely, I was compelled to continue reading to see what her actual deal was. Would she end up being possessed? Was she actually dead? Perhaps she was a figment of Simon’s imagination? I had no idea what the actual end game would be, so, Girard definitely had me hooked in that regard. I also felt like the general setting of the story added another chilling layer to the tone.
If I am being honest, I was a little underwhelmed at the ending of the story and I felt like maybe something HUGE was missed within the pages; in reality, I feel like maybe it would have been better received on screen, which makes sense when thinking of how this story started out.
I feel like this novel had several components, which would make a chilling tale perfect for Halloween, and, although I didn’t love the full execution of the novel, I did appreciate the general tone and feel.
The general premise brings us Mary Rose and Simon, a couple of working professionals, who are about to be engaged. They travel to England to ask for Mary Rose’s hand and Simon’s plans are slightly derailed when he finds out that Mary Rose disappeared when she was a little girl and then randomly reappeared thirty-three days later with no memory of her time away or knowledge of where she was. Not only does this give Simon the heeby-jeebies, but he becomes obsessed with trying to solve the puzzle of where she could have been and what could have happened.
Would I call this a traditional ghost story? Not really. Did I find some moments creepy? Absolutely! Told in alternating perspectives of Simon and Mary Rose, both characters have the opportunity to show the reader their growing paranoia and fright. I think my favourite character was Mary Rose. She is quirky, to say the least, and when she was acting strangely, I was compelled to continue reading to see what her actual deal was. Would she end up being possessed? Was she actually dead? Perhaps she was a figment of Simon’s imagination? I had no idea what the actual end game would be, so, Girard definitely had me hooked in that regard. I also felt like the general setting of the story added another chilling layer to the tone.
If I am being honest, I was a little underwhelmed at the ending of the story and I felt like maybe something HUGE was missed within the pages; in reality, I feel like maybe it would have been better received on screen, which makes sense when thinking of how this story started out.
I feel like this novel had several components, which would make a chilling tale perfect for Halloween, and, although I didn’t love the full execution of the novel, I did appreciate the general tone and feel.
bookwyrm37's review against another edition
3.0
as a fan of Mary Downing Hahn as a young person, this tale had just enough creep to give me chills and keep me on the edge of my seat without giving me nightmares! a fine line to walk and an excellent spinning of suggestions and eerie happenings
laragato's review against another edition
3.0
I'm giving this book a 3 star review because even after some time I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I'm a big fan of ghost stories, and so it caught my attention, and it held it for a long time. The story, the mystery, is one of those that leaves you wanting to know more at the end of each page, and makes it hard to put the book down for a second.
However, the writing was awful. In my opinion at least. The style is inconsistent, as if the author were trying to decide whether he wanted to be formal or colloquial, and in an attempt to make British characters sound "British", he puts together sentences that make no sense and sound weird or too wordy for a 21st century setting. And yet, he drops way too many pronouns to be congruent with this extremely flourished writing - nobody drops their "the's" as much as all these characters do.
This type of unpolished writing spoiled the whole experience for me, and even if the story gripped me, I found myself being pulled from the story by forced dialogue and unlikely phrasing.
All in all... a good read. I don't know. Was it a good read?
However, the writing was awful. In my opinion at least. The style is inconsistent, as if the author were trying to decide whether he wanted to be formal or colloquial, and in an attempt to make British characters sound "British", he puts together sentences that make no sense and sound weird or too wordy for a 21st century setting. And yet, he drops way too many pronouns to be congruent with this extremely flourished writing - nobody drops their "the's" as much as all these characters do.
This type of unpolished writing spoiled the whole experience for me, and even if the story gripped me, I found myself being pulled from the story by forced dialogue and unlikely phrasing.
All in all... a good read. I don't know. Was it a good read?
sarahashleigh5's review against another edition
3.0
Like the ghost story aspects and the Scottish mythology. Still have a hard time finding male authors that know how to write female characters.
beckyekg's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
laragato's review
3.0
I'm giving this book a 3 star review because even after some time I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I'm a big fan of ghost stories, and so it caught my attention, and it held it for a long time. The story, the mystery, is one of those that leaves you wanting to know more at the end of each page, and makes it hard to put the book down for a second.
However, the writing was awful. In my opinion at least. The style is inconsistent, as if the author were trying to decide whether he wanted to be formal or colloquial, and in an attempt to make British characters sound "British", he puts together sentences that make no sense and sound weird or too wordy for a 21st century setting. And yet, he drops way too many pronouns to be congruent with this extremely flourished writing - nobody drops their "the's" as much as all these characters do.
This type of unpolished writing spoiled the whole experience for me, and even if the story gripped me, I found myself being pulled from the story by forced dialogue and unlikely phrasing.
All in all... a good read. I don't know. Was it a good read?
However, the writing was awful. In my opinion at least. The style is inconsistent, as if the author were trying to decide whether he wanted to be formal or colloquial, and in an attempt to make British characters sound "British", he puts together sentences that make no sense and sound weird or too wordy for a 21st century setting. And yet, he drops way too many pronouns to be congruent with this extremely flourished writing - nobody drops their "the's" as much as all these characters do.
This type of unpolished writing spoiled the whole experience for me, and even if the story gripped me, I found myself being pulled from the story by forced dialogue and unlikely phrasing.
All in all... a good read. I don't know. Was it a good read?
juliakathleen's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jenniferlwatson's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jessicamap's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to Adaptive Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
October is the perfect month for horror books! So when I saw the synopsis for Geoffrey Girard's MARY ROSE, I was intrigued and I always love a good ghost story.
Mary Rose and her boyfriend Simon are a happy and successful young couple living in Philadelphia. They decide to travel back to Mary Rose's home in England, so that Simon can meet her parents and ask for their permission to marry her. When they arrive, Simon learns some troubling details about her past. Mary Rose disappeared for 33 days, and when she returned (in the same spot she disappeared from), she had no memory of what happened to her.
Simon becomes obsessed with trying to find out to Mary Rose. He launches his own investigation into the small town in Scotland where it happened. He believes that if he can figure out what happened, then they'll be able to move on with their lives. He hits a roadblock when no one in the town will talk to him about it.
This is told through both Mary Rose and Simon's perspectives. She's clearly getting more bothered and unsettled the longer they stay in England, and then when they travel to Scotland. Simon is purely focused on finding out what really happened to the woman he loves. With people opposing him wherever he turns, he just digs deeper. Will he be able to find out what really happened to her in those 33 days? I felt that the ending tied everything together very well without being unrealistic. It is definitely a ghost story, but that doesn't become too apparent until towards the end of the book.
Overall, this was a great and creepy read. Perfect choice for October! It had the elements you want in a ghost story without feeling too overdone (if that makes sense). I enjoyed the characters and I couldn't stop reading until I knew what happened to Mary Rose.
I give this 4/5 stars!
October is the perfect month for horror books! So when I saw the synopsis for Geoffrey Girard's MARY ROSE, I was intrigued and I always love a good ghost story.
Mary Rose and her boyfriend Simon are a happy and successful young couple living in Philadelphia. They decide to travel back to Mary Rose's home in England, so that Simon can meet her parents and ask for their permission to marry her. When they arrive, Simon learns some troubling details about her past. Mary Rose disappeared for 33 days, and when she returned (in the same spot she disappeared from), she had no memory of what happened to her.
Simon becomes obsessed with trying to find out to Mary Rose. He launches his own investigation into the small town in Scotland where it happened. He believes that if he can figure out what happened, then they'll be able to move on with their lives. He hits a roadblock when no one in the town will talk to him about it.
This is told through both Mary Rose and Simon's perspectives. She's clearly getting more bothered and unsettled the longer they stay in England, and then when they travel to Scotland. Simon is purely focused on finding out what really happened to the woman he loves. With people opposing him wherever he turns, he just digs deeper. Will he be able to find out what really happened to her in those 33 days? I felt that the ending tied everything together very well without being unrealistic. It is definitely a ghost story, but that doesn't become too apparent until towards the end of the book.
Overall, this was a great and creepy read. Perfect choice for October! It had the elements you want in a ghost story without feeling too overdone (if that makes sense). I enjoyed the characters and I couldn't stop reading until I knew what happened to Mary Rose.
I give this 4/5 stars!